Improvement in boot-treeing machines



` J. E. CRISP. Boot-Treeing Machine.

Nol 215,440. Patented Nlay 20,1879.

Fig

N.PErRS, PHOT0-L1THOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D4 C.

' pearance in polishing.

" l UNITED STATE S PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. CRISP, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE`W. COPELAND, OF

` MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOOT-TREEING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2l5,440,`dated May 20, 1879 application tiled March 3, 1879.

s which the following` is a specication. Treeing, the final step in the manufacture of boots, is done entirely by hand; but patents have been granted for machines for doing this y work,viz: No. 200,979, granted March 5,1878, to Willard Comey; also, No. 204,662, granted on the 11th day of June, 1878, and No. 211,623,

granted February 28, 1879, both to M. V. B. Ethridge. The machines described in these patents have not been introduced. t-icularly slow and arduous operation, and is l practiced for the purpose of giving` shape and symmetry to the boot leg and upper by molding them upon a form, homogeneousness and stability by rubbing, smoothness and invariable texture by working' a filling` composition into the leather, and tinish and uniform aplt involves the tempering of the boot upper and leg by moisture, "straining and stretching the same upon a boot-tree, the smoothing of wrinkles and molding thereon under strain to secure the accurate fitting and adjustment thereto, the introduction of the lling composition, the drying of the boot upper and leg to remove the moisture received in tempering and to set the filling, and, iinally, the polishing `of the upper and leg with any suitable blacking. The rubbing is done by a rub-stick, generally held inboth hands, and moved rapidly. This part of the work, with the "stretching, `calls for great exertion, and is exhaustive to the operator. y

. form to all portions of the surface of the rfc-rk operatedupon; third, a rotating jack or lurret for supporting and presenting one or more boot-trees to the smoothing and nishing ap- 1 pliances, provided with vertical movement,

lt is a parl -the passage a2.

preferably by an elastic medium, in adjusting the work to the tool.

[n the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical central section of boot-tree and jack. Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 illustrate, partly in section and partly by elevation, a portion ofthe construction of boot-tree and tool.

The hoot-tree A, when adjusted in the jack B, is supported at its end by the socket b is held therein by the point of the set-screw bl, which enters the segmental collar b2, loosely iitted in the groove al upon the circumference of the boot-tree, thus giving it means for revolntion upon its axis, and is locked in any desirable position by the set-screw b4.

Any boot-tree can be used in combination with my improved jack and smoothing and finishing tool; but l prefer to employ one made of metal, arranged to be heated .-by hot air, water, or steam, and constructed so that its parts are spread automatically by steam or any like power.

The tree is made in two parts, A1 A2. The part A is described in this application as arranged to be heated by steam, and to carry spreading-pistons.

The piston-plugs d* d2 are connected by the tube d3, substantially as shown in Fig. 2, and the steam is introduced through the same by They may be so arranged and fitted in the tree that their expansion on being first heated will not cause them to lock the tree to prevent its revolution upon them, as they are immovable and do not revolve with the tree.

The passage a2 extendsthrough the plug and connecting-tube into the cylinder a3, and

v the steam or other power introduced through said passage enters the cylinders a3, a4, c5, and a6, passing from cylinder to cylinder by connections a7. As many cylinders ma-y be employed as desired.

From the last cylinder in the series a channel opens into the chamber a8, and the steam or other power, after operating the piston, passes into said chamber and out through passage ag in the lower part of the piston-plug dl. The inner end of this exit-passage can be fitted with a small dischargepipe, for draining the chamber. x

The pistons al" each have a pointed projection, a, which may project to engage with the part A2 of the tree when the same is fitted thereon. This part A2 ofthe tree is furnished with wings A3, which lap upQn the part Al upon either'side, and give a continuous surface when the parts are separated, and is further provided with' recesses that correspond in po' sition and shape to the piston-projections a, g

which fit therein when the parts are together.

Most of the wrinkles in nntreed boots occur above the instep, and the trees in use have lthe joint Where the foot-piece is connected with the remainder of the tree at the commencement of the curve of' the foot-piece above the instep. This construction requires great care in properly adjusting the boot on the tree. To effect an improvement doing away with this care, the part Al is provided with the instep portion of the foot, and the foot-piece is so hinged to it that the joint shall extend diagonally from the shank to a position just below the instep, the joint being so far below the in step thatit clears all wrinkles in adjusting the boot upon the tree. This swinging foot-piece A4 is preferably provided with the removable toe-piece A5.

In adjusting a boot upon a boot-tree, the hinged foot part A4 is placed in line with the remainder `of the part A2, and the part A2 is then inserted into the boot-tree, the foot part automaticallyadjusting itself within the upi I per of the boot.

The part A1 is then inserted.

The operation of the boot-tree is as follows: A proper valve governing the induction-way is opened, allowing the passage of steam or other heating medium through the channels a2 a, chamber a8, passage a, vuntil the tree has acquired the desired temperature, when a i valve governing the eduetion-passage a9 is closed, and the steam or other power then actuates the pistons al" to move them outwardly, and cause them to spread or separate the parts ofthe tree, and from this time the closing and separatin g of the parts is governed by the vopening and closing valves, and the circulavtion caused by these manipulations will bey upon the boot upper and leg can be applied c gradually, thus doing away with the present i system of creating a great strain upon thel boot-leg before the rubbing is commenced;

also, by presenting a series of trees with the boots thereon in succession, that while one is f being'operated upon by the tool the others can receive such attention from the operator as is necessary, itjbeing myjintention to heat the seen that by the time the third or fourth up per and leg are adjusted upon the tree, the rst will be in a condition to receive its second rubbing.

By workin g the leather under heat less moisture is probably required to properly temper the same than when it is worked upon au unheated tree; and by providing a number of heated trees the work can be so rapidly dried that it will not be necessary to remove the treefrom thejack, and the boot, when iinished, is taken from the tree and au untreed bootsubstituted.

The rubbing and polishing device consists of apad, C, having sides which'may be slightly concave and edges slightly rounded. This pad can be made of leather, Wood, glass, st-one, or metal, according to the nature ofthe surface operated upon or the finish of the work desired. lt is pivoted at its center to and supported upon a curved arm, c, which is pivoted at c2 to a reciprocating carriage, c3, and it is arranged to yield from a given position against the stress of the spring c4,- or the supportingarm c1 may be rigidly attached to the carriage c3, in which case the arm should constitute a spring. The carriage c3 is reciprocated in any desirable way, and I herein represent the same assupported upon the bar E, and operated by the crank F and rod G.

The improved tool can be used in either of the following ways j First, by causing the tool to travel in a given path, 'and by presenting the work to it. This can readily be accomplished by the aid `of the revolving boot-tree and jack described.

Second, by supportingit upon a yielding arm, and providing it with means for revolution around the boot-tree.

Third, with a vertically adjustablev jack and a tree capable .of revolution on its axis therein, for seeurin g such adjustments of work t0 the tool or tool vto the work as may be desired. f

The method of use that I deem most practical is shown in Figs. l, 3, and 4, by which a pair of yielding pads are so arranged rthat when not in use their sides contact.

In operation, the pads after operating upon that part of the work `first presented., are, by a suitable movement, advanced against the work, or the work-support moved in relation to them, so that they `are caused to separate and :continue their rubbing action upon the work upon both sides Vof the boot-tree in .successive areas from the median line or lsurface upon which they first commenced to operate. The seetions upon each side of the boot-tree are thus simultaneously finished7 and bythe gradual movement of the tools in relation tothe worksupport, or the work-support in relation to the tools, the entire surface of the work upon the boot-tree is gone over until the pads come together again upon the under side of the tree.` Then the'movement can be reversed, and the operation gone through with again in reverse order.

The construction and method of supporting the pad are such that, inl case any obstruction is presented by the work operated upon, the pad will either partially revolve or yield sufliciently to clear it, and thus prevent injury to the work, and,passin g the obstruction, the pad will automatically present a surface to thework.

The jack B is provided with any number of sockets, b, and is supported upon the pistonrod b5 and piston b6 moved in the cylinder Bl by compressed air or other means. The movement of the piston and rod, when compressed air or other elastic force of like nature is employed, gives an elastic adjustment to the jack B, which is desirable when an unyielding reciprocating tool is used. This construction also provides for the free revolutions of the jack.

The piston is operated by compressed air entering below it through proper passages, which need not be more fully described herein.

This .construction of jack gives the boottree a yielding vertical and a horizontal adjustment in relation to the smoothing and nishin g tool.

Any suitable means ca-n be employed for fastening the jack in position while the rubbing tool or tools are in operation; and, as beffore observed, while the rubbing` is progressing the operator can`be applying the dressing to some other boot, or can be removing` a finished boot fromthe boot-tree and replacingit with an untreed boot, and the boots previously rubbed may be drying while awaiting the next rubbing.

I have` described the improved tool as used in connection with a boot-tree for the purpose of treeing boots; but `I do not intend to coniine myself to its use therewith, as it can be employed in smoothing, finishing, and polishing leather or other material upon a suitable formV or bed or table for presenting the same to its action.

By the present method of freeing boots by hand, the boot is tempered by being soaked in water. l t is then adjusted uponthe tree, besmeared with a filling composition and rubbed, then taken off and allowed to stand some time, put on again, dressed and rubbed, taken off, and oftentimes' again put through the same manipulation, and, finally, finished with a suitable polish. This involves the reA moval of the boot from the tree at least twice and perhaps three times.

By using a heated tree I can perform the entire treeing without removing the boot from the form; and,if it is desirable, the tree may be heated during one or more dressings and rubcome pliable and adapt itself' to the tree with A little or' no previous wetting, will more readily absorb the necessary filling, and is more readily and thoroughly stretched, so that less stock is necessary in making the boot.

. For automatically expanding the boot-treeV in the manner indicated, I do not confine myself, ofcourse, to the use of a heat-carrying power, but may use condensed cold air, cold Water, or in fact any power that can be used in connection with the mechanical construction shown and described for operating the stretching devices. Neitherdo I confine myself` in the process of treeing boots under heat to the application of the heating medium in the manner herein set forth, as various other means maybe employed for heat-ing the tree to the desired temperature.

I am aware that Letters Patent No. 191,247, granted J. Miller, lMay 29, 1877, describe a boot-tree'having a movable foot-piece, which includes they entire instep and a portion which is embraced in the lower part of the piece A2 of my boot-tree, which is hinged to the equivalent of the part A1 of myboottr'ee.

I am also aware that the Patent No. 166,499. to Clay and Rankin, granted August l0, 1875, shows a movable foot-piece; but as neither of these devices show or describe that portion of thefoot-piece below the instep only as movable, they do not embrace the spirit of my invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An improved process or method intree -ing boots, consisting in heating and expanding the tree by means of steam or its equivalent during the treeing operation, substantially as set forth.

2. A boottree adapted to be'heated by steam, hot air,` hot water, or other like` heating me dium, provided with a suitable chamber or chambers, an induction-way, a?, and an eduction-way, a9, whereby the circulation of the heating medium is attained and maintained, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

3. Aboot-tree adapted to beheated by steam hot air or water, or other like heating medium, having suitable chambers and an inlet and outlet passage or passages at the knee or vupper end of the tree.

4. A boot-tree adapted to beheated by steam, hot Water or air, or other like heating medium, and tovrevolve upon its axis, provided with a stationary central plug or piece containing ,the

induction and eduction Ways, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5.` Aboot-tree adapted to be heated by steam, hot-air or water, lnade in two parts, and providedwith one or more pistons for spreading the parts operated by the heating medium,

substantially as described.

'6. A boot-tree having that portion ot' the foot-piece below the instep and extended to the shank hinged at the shank to the part Az of the tree, substantially as and for the purposes described.

7. In a boot-tree, the combination of the part A2, provided with the instep projecting therefrom, as shown, and with the foot-piece A4,' hinged thereto with the part A, all combined and arranged substantially as and for the purposes described. l

8. In a boot-tree adapted to be heated in the manner indicated, the combination ofthe part A1, provided with one or more pistons, actu'- ated, as described, with the part A2, provided with the wing A3, substantially as described. 9. In a boot-tree, the combination of two I parts, one of which is adapted to be heated by steam, hot water or air, or other like heating medium introduced into its interior, and which is arranged to carry spreading devices, and the other of which is adapted to be heated by contact with the part, and to be separated by v as described.

11. The combination, in a boot-tree, of ,the part A1, having a piston arranged to be moved s outwardly by steam or other like power, and

bearing the projection All, with the part A2,

, provided with a recess corresponding in shape and location to said projection, all arranged substantially as and for the purposes fdescribed.

12. In a boot-treein g machine, the combination ot'a jack having automatic vertical movement by means of compressed air or other like medium, arranged to present a 'boot-tree to a rubbing, smoothing, and linishingtool, said boot-tree, andareciprocating rubbing, smoothl ing, and linishing tool, substantially' as and for the purposes described.

13. A jack arranged to receive, hold, and

present one or more boot-trees to reciprocating rubbing, smoothing, and finishing appliances supported upon a piston automatically operated by compressed air or other suitable medium, in the manner specified.

14. The combination of a jack for presenti ing a boottree to the rubbing, smoothing, and

iinishing devices, a boot-tree adapted to be heated by steam, hot air, hot Water, orother like medium, and a reciprocating rubbing, smoothing, and finishing tool, all arranged t operate substantially as described.

15. A rubbing, smoothing, and finishing tool, consisting of abloek of any desirable material, pivoted at its center to a suitable support, and having sides of equal area and ot' uniform length, each of which is preferably somewhat rounded along its edges and at its corners, and also slightly concave, substantially as described.

16. The combination ot' a jack for holding and presenting a boot-tree to the rubbing, smoothing, and finishing mechanism, and a boot-tree with two or more rubbing, smoothing, and finishing tools, adapted to automatically and simultaneously conform to the surface of' the boot-tree from a given line, and to operate simultaneously from said line on both sides of the tree upon succeeding areas by the relative change in position of boot-.tree and tool, substantially as described.

17. The combination of a jack'for supporting, holding, and presenting a boot-tree to a .reciprocating rubbing, smoothing, and inishing tool, and a boot-tree with a reciprocating rubbing, smoothing, and finishing tool having two 0r more rubbing-surfaces, so arranged that one automatically takes the place of the other while the tool is at work, substantially as described.

18. The combination of a reciprocating carriage or head, c3, the yielding tool-carrying arm c1, and the tool c, all arranged in relation to each other, substantially as described.

19. The combination otl a suitable form or tree for presenting the Work to a pair of rubbing, smoothing, and finishing elastic pads, with said elastic pads arranged to Work simultaneously from a given line, and to be separated by the change in position ot the Work in relation thereto, and means for supporting and reciprocating the same, substantially as described.

20. The combination of a jack provided with a socket, b, and set-screws b1 b4, with a boot' tree, having upon the end inserted Within the socket a groove, al, which carries a movable segmental collar or piece, b2, with which the point of the set-screw bl contacts, all arranged to provide the boot-tree with aXialrevolution, and a locking device for fastening the same in any desired position.

21. The combination of a jack for holding and presenting a boot-tree to reciprocating rubbing and polishing devices, a boot-tree adapted to be expanded during the treeing operation by steam, compressed air, Water un- Y Y der pressure, or other equivalent power, and said reciprocating rubbing and polishing devices, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

i J. E. CRISP.

Witnesses:

.11 F. RAYMOND, 2d,

GEO. F. WALKER. 

